Combination stabilizer strut and shock absorber



o 7, 19 R. H. wHlsLER, JR. Em 2,360,7 8

COMBINATION STABILIZER STRUT AND SHOCK ABSORBER 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 5, 1941 INVENTORS RALPH H.WHISLER JR. CHARLES EREAD JOHN ILNIGKELSEN BY ARTHU e0 1 mm A UN 1944- R. H. WHISLER, JR., ETAL 2,360,748

COMBINATION STABILIZER STRUT AND SHOCK ABSORBER Filed Sept. 5, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS RALPH H-WHISLER JR. CHARLES anew BY norm mmcxuse Oct. 17, 1944. R. H. WHISLER, JR, ETAL COMBINATION STABILIZER STRUT AND SHOCK ABSORBER Filed Sept. 5, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS RALPH wwmsuan JR CHARLES E. READ BY JOHN mu )0 Km;

ICKELSEN HU BO O NEYS QOE ' Patented Oct. 1 7, 1944 COMBINATION STABILIZER STRUT AND- SHOCK ABSORBER Ralph H. Whisler, Jr., and Charles E. Read, Monroe, and John M. Nickelsen. Ann Arbor, Mich., and Arthur Boor, Toledo, Ohio, assignors to Monroe Auto Equipment Company, Monroe, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application September 5, 1941, Serial No. 409,718

' 10 Claims. "(01. 267-457) This invention relates generally tostabilizing struts and refers'more particularly to a combination strut and shock absorber capable of beinginstalled on a motor vehicle to stabilize the action of the sprung and unsprung portions thereof. 1

' includes as a part thereof a hydraulic shock absorber adapted to yieldably check side sway of I the vehicle.

Another object is to provide a strong and durable combination strut and shock absorber that comprises relatively few parts, that can be manufactured at a comparatively low cost, that may bereadily installed,-that occupies a minimum of space in an out-of-the-way location with respect to the usual parts of the vehicle, and that is effective and efiicient in operation.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross sectional view through a motor vehicle, showing a combination strut and shock absorber embodying our invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the combination strut and shock absorber, with parts broken away and in section;

Figure 3 is an end view of the structure shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the strut portion of the combination;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the shock absorber portion of the combination, with partsbroken away and in section;

Figures 6, 7 and 8, respectively, are detail views of the dome portion of the shock absorber; Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 2'but showing a slight modification;

Figure 10 is an end view of the structure illustrated in Figure 9;

Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the shock absorber portion of the combination illustrated in Figure 9..

Referringnow to the drawings, A is the sprung portion and B is the unsprung portion of a motor vehicle, and C is a combination strut and shock absorber embodying our invention extending transversely of the vehicle and terminally connected to said sprung and unsprung portions.

As usual, the sprung portion A includes the vehicle body Ill and the supporting sills II and I2, respectively, therefor, while the unsprung portion includes the transversely extending axle I3 and the ground wheels |4.

The combination strut and shock absorber C is above and substantially parallel to the axle I3 and preferably has the shock absorber portion l5 and the strut portion I6 thereof in end-to-end relation so that the exterior of the combination simulates one elongated strut member.

Mounted upon an axially extending arm I! at the shock absorber end of the combination are two rubber blocks 8 and I9, respectively, that are located upon opposite sides of a vertical web 20 of a supporting bracket 2| extending downwardly from and rigid with the sill The arm I! extends through an opening 22 in the web 23 of the bracket and is provided at its outer end with a threaded portion 23 upon which a retaining' nut 24 is mounted. The rubber blocks I8 and I9 have metal end plates 25, 26, 21 and 28. respectively, encircling the arm H, and preferably the intermediate end plates 26 and 21 have opposed substantially L-shaped portions 29 and 30, respectively, that cooperate with each other to form a saddle for the edges of the opening 22 in the web 20. The strut portion l6 of the combination is tubular and contains at its outer end a rubber block 3| from which a stud 32 projects for connection with an upstanding bracket 33 on the axle l3. Preferably the block-stud combination just mentioned is similar to that illustrated in United States Patent No. 2,149,622, dated March 7, 1939, and therefore need not now be described in detail.

The shock absorber portion or unit |5 of the combination has a tubular pressure chamber 34, a tubular reserve chamber 35 substantially concentric with the pressure chamber 34 and having a closed inner end 36 abutting and rigidly secured to the inner end of the tubular strut portion IS,

a dust shield 31 including a tube 38 substantially concentric with the reserve chamber 35 and an end plate 39 rigid with said tube and with the axially extending arm l1, a piston 40 within and movable lengthwise of the pressure chamber 34, a rod 4| terminally connected to the end plate 39 and piston 40, a guide 42 for the piston rod forming a common closure for the outer ends of the pressure chamber 34 and reserve chamber 35, a seal 43 within the outer portion of the guide42 and frictionally engaging the piston rod 4|, and a packing unit, 44 encircling the piston rod 4| at the outer sides-of the seal 43. Preferably the guide 42 has an annular recess or pocket 4| encircling the piston rod 4| and adapted to receive any hydraulic medium wiped off the red by the seal 43, and has an inclined passage 48 for conducting such medium from the recess 48 to the reserve chamber 35. There is also a gasket 41 of suitable material engaging the guide 42 and reserve chamber 35 to prevent the escape of the hydraulic medium, and such gasket is held in place by a retaining washer 48.

In the present instance, it is important thatthe shock absorber unit l5 of the combination be as short as possible and that the reserve cham-- ber 35 have sufficient capacity to take care of the hydraulic medium under all conditions of operation; therefore, to accomplish this the top wall 50 of the reserve chamber is preferably provided with an opening 5| for the hydraulic medium and is provided with a dome 52 that covers said opening. The dome 52 may be any shape, but has its lower edges fitting tightly against and rigidly secured to the reserve chamber 35 in spaced relation to the opening 5|. The purpose of this dome 52 is to provide an oil level at sufficient height above the disk valve 1| so that the unit |5 will not take in air on the suction stroke. It is also .necessary to have a certain amount of air in the unit to take care of piston rod displacement. Normally the hydraulic medium completel fills the reserve chamber 35 and is up in the dome 52 to approximately the level indicated by the line 53. Thus, the hydraulic medium may flow freely through the opening 5| to and from the dome 52 and reservechamber 35.

The inner end of the piston rod 4| is reduced so as to provide a shoulder 54 and is provided in spaced relation to said shoulder with an adjusting nut 55. The head 56 of the piston 40 is sleeved on the reduced portion 51 of the rod between the shoulder 54 and nut 55 and has two sets 58 and 59, respectively. of longitudinall extending passages for the hydraulic medium. Also sleeved on the reduced portion 51 of the rod between the head 56 of the piston and the shoulder'54 and preferably bearing against the latter is a ported plate 60. A metal washer 6| is on the inner side of this plate while a laminated spring valve 62 is sleeved on the reduced portion 51 of the rod between the washer 6| and the head 56 of the piston for controlling the outer passages 58. Another laminated leaf spring valve 63 is sleeved upon the reduced portion 51 of the rod between the nut 55.

and the head 56 of the piston to control the flow of the hydraulic medium through the inner passages 59.

At the outer end of the tubular pressure chamber 34 is a compression valve assembly 18 for controlling the flow of the hydraulic medium to and from the pressure chamber 34 and the reserve chamber 35, Preferably this assembly cornprises a metal disk valve normally held by a leaf spring 12 in closed position over a central passage I3 in a valve body 14 secured to the outer end of the pressure chamber 34. This valve body 14 also has a circular series of smaller passages 15 registering with slots or openings 16 in the periphery of the valve H. The passages 15 are under the control of a laminated spring valve 11 carried on the outer side of the valve-body 14. If desired, the valve body 14 may have a tubular extension 18 engaging the closed end 36 of the reserve chamber 35 and provided with openings 19 for the hydraulic medium.

80 is a bolt having its head 8| secured to the closed end 36 of the reserve chamber 35 and having its threaded shank O2 in axial alignment with the piston rod 4| and arm i1. Such bolt 80 is used to mount the shock absorber portion II in a test fixture (not shown) before assembling the tubular strut portion I8 therewith.

In Figures 9 to ll, inclusive, we have illustrated a slight modification wherein heads 90 and 8|, respectively, rigidly secured to the cover plate 39 and the closed outer end 82 of the tubular strut portion I6 of the assembly are employed instead of the rubber mountings i8, i8 and 3|, respectively, to connect the combination strut andshock absorber to the sprung and unsprung weight of a vehicle. Otherwise, the construction is similar to that illustrated in Figures 1 to 8, inclusive.

In use, the combination strut and shock absorber will yieldably check side way of the vehicle and, therefore, will effectively stabilize the action of the sprung and unsprung portions of the vehicle. Aside from the yieldable mountings provided by the rubber blocks I8, l9 and 3|, respectively, the shock absorber portion |5 of the combination will functionto accomplish the desired results. For example, when either end of the combination is subjected to a pulling action tending to extend the over-all length of the combination, the piston 40 travels to the left in the pressure chamber 34 and causes the hydraulic medium in the pressure chamber to the left of the piston to flow to the right through the passages 59 in the piston and unseat the valve 63 so as to enter the space in the pressure chamber 34 to the right of the piston. On this stroke of the piston the compression valve H is unseated to allow the hydraulic medium in the reserve chamber 35 to flow through the opening 13 into the pressure chamber 34. However, when either end of the combination is subjected to a compressive action tending to collapse or shorten the over-all length of the combination, the piston 40 travels to the right in the pressure chamber 34 and causes the hydraulic medium in the pressure chamber to the right of the piston to flow to the left through the passages58 in the piston and unseat the valve 62 so as to enter the space in the pressure chamber 34 to the left of the piston. On this stroke of the piston, the compression valve I1 is unseated to allow the hydraulic medium in the pressure chamber 34 to flow in a restricted manner through the openings 15 into the reserve chamber 35. Thus, the relative movement between the sprung and unsprung portion of the vehicle is yieldably checked in both directions regardless of whether the combination is subjected to a pulling or compressive action.

What we claim as our invention is:

l. A shock absorber and strut combination having an elongated shock absorber portion provided with a tubular reserve chamber for a hydraulic medium, the top wall of said chamber having an opening therein for the hydraulic medium, and a dome covering said opening and having its edges fitting tightly against and rigidly secured to said top wall of the reserve chamber in spaced relation to the edges of said opening.

2. The combination with a. vehicle having two transversely spaced longitudinally extending sills and a transversely extending axle, of a downwardly projecting bracket rigidly secured to one of said sills adjacent the axle, and an upstanding bracket rigidly secured to the axle adjacent the other sill, the upper end of the upstanding bracket being substantially in horizontal alignment with tion extending transversely of the vehicle between and terminally connected to the horizontally aligned ends of said brackets, said combination including a shock absorber unit and a rigid strut arranged in end to end relation and rigidly connected-together.

3. The combination with a vehicle having two transversely spaced longitudinally extending sills and a transversely extending axle, of a downwardly projecting bracket rigidly secured to one of said sills adjacent the axle, and an upstanding bracket rigidly secured to the axle adjacent the other sill, the upper end of the upstanding bracket being substantially in horizontal-alignment with the lower end of the downwardly projecting bracket, and a strut and shock absorber combination substantially parallel to the axle and includ ng a hydraulic shock absorber having relatively movable parts, and an elongated strut arranged in end to end relation with and connected to one of said parts, the other of said parts and the strut being connected at their remote ends to the horizontally aligned ends of said brackets.

4. In a shock absorber and strut combination, a hydraulic shock absorber having a substantially horizontal tubular pressure chamber, a tubular reserve chamber enveloping the pressure chamber, valve means carried by the pressure chamber I within the reserve chamber and controlling the fiow of hydraulic medium between said chambers, the top wall of the reserve chamber being provided intermediate its ends with an aperture fOr hydraulic medium, and means for normally maintaining the level of hydraulic medium above.-

the valve means in the reserve chamber so that such means will normally be submerged in such hydraulic medium,'including a separate dome for hydraulic medium secured to the top wall of the reserve chamber about and in open communication with said aperture.

5. In a shock absorber and strut combination,

. a hydraulic shock absorber having substantially horizontal concentric tubular pressure and reserve'chambers, the pressure chamber being within the reserve chamber, valve means carried by the pressure chamber within the reserve chamber and controlling the flow of hydraulic medium between said chambers, the top wall of the reserve chamber being provided intermediate its ends with an aperture for hydraulic ,medium, and means carried by th reserve chamber for normally maintaining the level of hydraulic medium above the valve means in the reserve chamber so that such means will normally be submerged in such hydraulic medium, including a. separate dome for hydraulic medium secured to the top wall of the reserve chamber in open communication with said aperture,

6. The combination with a vehicle having sprung and unsprung portions, the sprung portion including supporting sills for a body, the unsprung portion including a transversely extending axle, of oppositely extending brackets secured to said axle and to one of said sills and having free ends disposed substantially in horizontal alignment, and means for yieldably stabilizing the action of the sprung and unsprung portions including a hydraulic shock absorber and strut combination extending transversely of th vehicle above and substantially parallel to said axle, the shock absorber having relatively movable tubular sections and valve means controlling the flow of hydraulic medium between said sections, one of said sections being connected to the free end of one of said brackets, the strut being an endwise extension of and rigid with the other of said sections and being connected to the free end of the other of said brackets.

7. The combination with a vehicle having sprung and unsprung portions, the sprung portion including supporting sills for a body, the unsprung portion including a transversely extending axle, of oppositely extending brackets secured to said axle and to one of said sills and having free ends disposed substantially in horizontal alignment, and means for yieldably stabilizing the action of the sprung and unsprung portions including a hydraulic shock absorber and a rigid strut arranged end to end and extending transversely of the vehicle in substantially parallel relation to said axle, the hydraulic shock absorber having relatively movable tubular sections and valve means controlling the flow of hydraulic medium between said sections, one of said sections being connected to the free end of one of said brackets, the strut being rigid with the other of said sections and being connected to the free end of the other of said brackets.

8. The comb nation with a vehicle having sprung and unsprung portions, of oppositely extending brackets secured to said sprung and unsprung portions and having free ends disposed substantially in horizontal alignment, and means vfor yieldably stabilizing the action of the sprung and unsprung portions including a hydraulic shock absorber and a rigid strut arranged end to end and extending transversely of the vehicle, the shock absorber having relatively movable tubular sections and valve means controlling the flow of hydraulic medium between said sections, one of said sections being connected to the free end of one of said brackets, the strut being an endwise extension of and rigid with the other of said sections and being connected to the free end of the other of said brackets.

9. In a shock absorber and strut combination, a hydraulic shock absorber having a substantially horizontal elongated pressure chamber, a tubular reserve chamber enveloping and substantially concentric with the pressure chamber, valve means within the reserve chamber at one end of the pressure chamber controlling the flow of hydraulic medium between said chambers, the top wall of said reserve chamber beingprovided intermediate its ends with an aperture for hydraulic medium, and a separate dome secured to the reserve chamber over said aperture so as to receive hydraulic medium therefrom, said dome, reserve chamber, and aperture being so constructed and arranged relative to each other that the volume of hydraulic medium in the reserve chamber is normally sufiicient to completely envelop the valve means. 10. In a shock absorber and strut combination, an elongated hydraulic shockabsorber having a substantially horizontal pressure cylinder, a tubular reserve chamber, for a hydraulic medium enveloping and substantially concentric with the pressure cylinder, valve means controlling the flow of hydraulic medium between the cylinder and chamber, the top wall of said chamber having an aperture for hydraulic medium, and a dome for hydraulic medium covering and in open communication with said aperture, said dome being secured to the top wall of said reserve chamber around the edges of said aperture.-

' RALPH H. WHISLER, JR.

CHARLES E. READ.

JOHN M. NICKELSEN.

ARTHUR BOOR. 

